SC’s gay sex ruling defeat of human rights: Vikram Seth

Kolkata, Jan 27: A day before the Supreme Court hears a review petition by the government against the December ruling upholding section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises gay sex, celebrated author Vikram Seth Monday said the judgment marked a defeat of human rights.

“The issue of human rights… that’s the important thing… as Indians… men, women, lesbians, gays… we all lost on Dec 11… it’s about humanity as Indians, as citizens of our country or as human beings in the world that are being trampled on,” Seth told IANS on the sidelines of the Kolkata Literary Meet.

In a jolt to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, the apex court held Dec 11 that consensual sex between adults of the same gender was illegal and an offence according to the existing law.

The central government filed a review plea on the apex court ruling.

Seth said Jan 28 will be a “crucial day”.

“It’s an awful business and that’s why we are fighting against it… what happens tomorrow is anyone’s guess… tomorrow is a crucial day.”

The apex court set aside the 2009 Delhi High Court verdict that decriminalised homosexuality. The high court ruling had come on a public interest litigation (PIL) by Naz Foundation.

He acknowledged that organisations like Naz Foundation were the “true heroes” and it has been a “very long” and “hard haul” for them.

“You can imagine what it’s like for these people to have stood in the trenches and fought despite all these disappointments and they have done a lot of work… they are the true heroes in the case.”